Good news, women! Idaho isn’t the very worst state for equality. Two rank lower

Thanks to gorgeous mountains, bountiful outdoor recreation and a thriving capital city, Idahoans often sip blissfully from a stream of flattery flowing from the outside world.

But not always. A newly updated study suggests the Gem State isn’t necessarily such a desirable place after all.

Not if you’re female.

A report on the “Best and worst states for women’s equality (2025)” ranked Idaho third to last. The embarrassing assessment is from WalletHub, the personal finance website known for its metrics-based articles.

“Women’s rights in the U.S. have made leaps and bounds since the passage of the 19th Amendment,” WalletHub writes, “yet many women still struggle to break the glass ceiling because of unequal treatment in society. Unfortunately, the gender gap in 21st century America has only expanded.”

And Idaho is treading water at the bottom of the barrel.

There are only two places in the U.S. where women have it worse, according to this analysis. Naturally, one is our next-door neighbor to the southeast — the one that handles polygamy laws sort of like traffic violations. (Yep, Utah.) The other? Good ol’ gerrymandering-obsessed Texas.

What’s strange? Utah and Idaho both border the second-best state for women’s equality: Nevada.

So why does Idaho stink in this study? Because ranked among 17 criteria, the state’s average score was rotten. WalletHub’s gender comparisons do not paint a pretty picture. There’s a big income difference between men and women. (At 18.3%, Idaho ranked 36th out of the 50 states.) Disparity in advanced educational attainment (49th). The gap in doctor-visit affordability (46th). And the inequal average number of work hours for full-time workers (49th).

The 17 criteria were grouped under three main categories: workplace environment (Idaho ranked 38th), education and health (48th), and political empowerment (48th).

Here are some of the study’s key overall findings: In all 50 states, women earn less than men. (Shocker, right?) California has the lowest gap. Louisiana has the highest. Women make up the highest share of minimum-wage workers in almost every state.

In almost every state legislature, men outnumber women. Nevada is most optimal for women, with 62.5 percent more female than male lawmakers. Conversely, West Virginia has 86.44 percent more men.

Overall, the best states for women’s equality — Nos. 1 through 10 — are Hawaii, Nevada, Maryland, Maine, Oregon, New Mexico, California, Iowa, Alaska and Vermont.

The worst states for women’s equality — Nos. 41 through 50 — are Ohio, Virginia, New Jersey, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Idaho, Texas and Utah.

But don’t worry, Idaho. WalletHub made sure that no state walked away feeling entirely holier-than-thou. When it comes to women’s rights, the United States as a whole certainly is no superpower.

“In 2025,” the article says, “the U.S. failed to place in the top 10 — or even the top 30 — of the World Economic Forum’s ranking of 148 countries based on gender equality. The U.S. ranked 42nd, up one place from the previous year.”